Bill Calling For Internet Sales Tax To Move Forward In Senate

The bill would give states the right to collect taxes from items sold online outside their borders.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid on Thursday filed a motion in support of the measure. Currently, states rely on consumers to self-report, which they rarely do.

If approved, the change would be a win for brick-and-mortar stores like Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the world’s biggest retailer, which backs the legislation.

At the moment, states can only require online merchants with physical stores or affiliates within their borders to collect sales tax, giving online-only retailers such as Amazon.com Inc a price advantage in many markets.